Drying out clothes & boots on remote hunts?

Joined
Aug 21, 2018
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302
Location
Palmer, Alaska
You can also remove the insoles of the boots and bring them in your sleeping bag to help dry them. If you use a down bag, be aware of how much moisture you are putting in the bag if you have a longer trip without ability to dry it out in the sun (use synthetic bags for this). If you are doing trip in winter/below freezing the whole time conditions that is multiple days, double boots become critical. Also consider leather vs synthetic, as many leather boots will not dry as easily.
This, pull those insoles and wipe em off the best you can, then sleep with em. The rest of the boot is gonna suck for a bit, but once you get moving it all works out. Also, I just screwed up this last trip and didn't loosen my boot laces up when i went to bed. Next morning I stuffed insoles back in but broke a lace trying to loosen my frozen boots up so I could slip my foot back in!
 

mtwarden

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Oct 18, 2016
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Montana
This won't dry your boots but this will thaw them enough when frozen to put them on your feet- oh the joys of camping in late Fall and Winter :D

I bring two 16 Nalgene bottles that I drink from during the day. If my boots are frozen stiff I can't put them on; soooooo I boil a litter of water in the morning and fill each 16 bottle and put them in my boots. It only takes 5-10 minutes to thaw them enough to put on. The water is usually still hot enough to use for coffee and hot cereal (if not a quick reheat will do the trick).

Leaving the bottles in for a long time would probably dry the boots some, but I rarely have a long time in the mornings :)
 

EdP

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Jun 18, 2020
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Southwest Va
Putting socks in the bottom of my sleeping bag to dry is not an idea I like. The bottom of my bag is always the most wet part. Near the top of my bag would work better than the bottom, but I hang my socks out even if they will freeze. They will still dry with a little sun and breeze.
 

amassi

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May 26, 2018
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3,658
Don’t laugh…
These things actually work.
I liked to about die laughing when these showed up in a stocking. But they work. I hate wet boots, I noticed even with a stove my boots would stay wet inside and have a tough outside.
These also work without a stove in warmer temps 35* +



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TaperPin

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Jul 12, 2023
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Drying clothes at night is one of the biggest reasons I tend to have a sleeping bag a touch on the warm side and I don’t use down. I also keep a net suspended towards the top of the tent to dry things that don’t fit in the sleeping bag.
 
OP
Leverwalker

Leverwalker

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Jul 3, 2023
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Wisconsin
I believe he is referring to plastic mountaineering boots with a removable insulated liner you remove and sleep with. The double plastic boots absorb zero moisture in the outer boot.
Lol, well, in the nimrod department....

Thanks a lot. I'll look into them.
 

Pdzoller

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Feb 27, 2021
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321
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Oregon
Have you seen these? I haven’t used them but it’s interesting:



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I use them all the time in late season. They work really well.
 
Joined
Jun 15, 2017
Messages
1,780
Location
San Antonio
Have you seen these? I haven’t used them but it’s interesting:



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Any idea if that's $90 for the pair or each? Steep either way, seems like there's gotta be some personal fan gizmos that'd work pretty well for less.
 

Cyril

FNG
Joined
May 17, 2021
Messages
38
I brought a pair of chamois with me to western AK and they were awesome for drying out boots.
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2022
Messages
352
Location
Colorado
I take a local newspaper with me. Crumpled up in the boots at night and they’ll dry enough in my pack or tent to use again the next night.
 

WVelkhunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 8, 2018
Messages
155
Nobody uses hot rocks?
That's how I roll! Works fairly well. Heat up some golf ball size rocks in your fire or on top of your stove and stick them in your boots. I try to get them just hot enough that I can't keep ahold of them with bare hands. Rinse and repeat.
 

Deadfall

WKR
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Oct 18, 2019
Messages
1,529
Location
Montana
That's how I roll! Works fairly well. Heat up some golf ball size rocks in your fire or on top of your stove and stick them in your boots. I try to get them just hot enough that I can't keep ahold of them with bare hands. Rinse and repeat.
Works good for me. My method little different. Same idea though
 
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